The usage, transportation, and storage of hazardous materials create many safety and environmental issues. More specifically, during usage, transportation, and storage of hazardous materials, leaks can release toxic or explosive gas into the surrounding environment. For example, industrial equipment used in the oil, gas, utility, and chemical industries can release toxic gas into the surrounding environment. As another example, hazardous gases can pose a threat to homeland security. In many cases, the hazardous gas is odorless, colorless, and spreads quickly. As a result thereof, it can be quite difficult to detect and locate the source of the leak.
Recently, it has been determined that laser sources that generate light in the mid infrared range (“MIR range”) are particularly useful in absorption spectroscopy applications since many gases of interest have their fundamental vibrational modes in the MIR range, and thus present strong, unique absorption signatures within the MIR range. In order to detect a wide range of gases, the laser source must generate a set of sequential, specific output beams that span a portion or the entire the MIR range.
Unfortunately, emitting gases in many atmospheric environments are susceptible to intensity fluctuations due to air turbulence. This can make it very difficult to detect these emitting gases.